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Links to past Mental Health Minutes are below.

 

The Nervous System : Cristen Malia MA, LPC, E-RYT 500

 Regulated Nervous System ~
A buzz word/ phrase these days –

A simplified explanation of what it is and some practices to help you do it:

The nervous system consists of two interconnected branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems that ideally work together to maintain balance within the body.

The sympathetic branch – Responds to stressful and urgent situations, it is often called ‘fight or flight’ but it’s not just that, we need it to mobilize.

The parasympathetic branch helps us recover, rest, digest, create, connect…

We need them both.

Nervous system regulation is when we can flow between different states of arousal appropriately. With a regulated nervous system, we can work and move quickly and respond appropriately to stress (sympathetic state) and then be able to move into a parasympathetic state, rest and restore, when we’ve finished navigating the challenge.

Our ability to regulate our nervous system directly impacts our health and well-being, our relationships, our ability to communicate, our quality of sleep, the state of our mind, and lots more.

There are many practices we can do to get better at nervous system regulation – meditation, yoga, breathing, healthy diet, hydration, being in nature, being with supportive people are just a few.

And yes, it’s possible for all of us to develop this skill of regulating ourselves! It doesn’t mean we don’t feel, rather that we can have resilience and steadiness through all of life.

Come practice these tools with us – Angela Melzer and I offer a free monthly community meditation gathering. This month’s class will be Wednesday, January 28 at 5:30 pm at CMC.

Or join us on retreat in Hawaii May 2-9, where we will do a deep dive into nervous system regulation. Wholehealingretreats.com for more info.

 

Cristen Malia is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma healing through EMDR, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, somatic therapy, and mindfulness-based clinical counseling and practices at Emerald Integrative Health in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Cristen has also been a yoga teacher for over 18 years, she integrates the wisdom of yoga with neuroscience and trauma-informed care to support holistic healing. Cristen is the founder and lead teacher of the Steamboat Springs School of Yoga and leads teacher trainings and retreats focused on embodiment, mindfulness, and transformation.

 

This is the continued Mental Health Minute, beginning July 7, 2025.

• Jan. 26, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — The Nervous System
• Jan. 18, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — A message from Yampa Valley High School
• Jan. 11,  2026 — Mental Health Minute – Prioritizing Mental Health Like Physical Health (Youth-Focused)
• Jan. 4, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Healing through tears, laughter and love
• Dec. 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — The HOPE Initiative from The Health Partnership
• Dec. 14, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Standing Together: Men’s Work and “Walking Each Other Home”
• Dec. 8, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — The Gut and Brain Connection
• Nov. 30, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Your Voice Matters
• Nov. 24, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Nov. 16, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Time Change Blues 
• Nov. 10, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Navigating Changes in Midlife for Women
• Nov. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Stress Management in Teens
• Oct. 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Day of the Dead
• Oct. 19, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Sacred Moments: Finding the Sacred in the Ordinary 
• Oct. 13, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Talk Saves Lives: Empowering Our Community to Prevent Suicide
• Oct. 6, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) comes to Northwest Colorado
• Sept. 29, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Get Immediate Support with the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line
• Sept. 22, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Theater as an Outlet
• Sept. 14, 2025 –Mental Health Minute — Connection in Times of Adversity
• Sept. 7. 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Sharing stories and building bridges at new event
• Aug. 31, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Message from Yampatika
• Aug. 25, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Mental Health After a Critical Incident: How to Help, What to Expect, and Taking Care of Yourself
• Aug. 17, 2025 — Mental Health Minute: Uncertainty Is Part of Life — But It’s Heavier for Some
• Aug. 11, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Re:generation: A Christ-Centered Path to Lasting Transformation
• Aug. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steps to Help Save A Life
• July 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steamboat Kids & Phones
• July 24-2025 — Mental Health Minute — Starting with the basics
• July 15, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Helping Others through Peer Engagement and The HOPE Initiative
• LINK to all previous Mental Health Minutes — DECEMBER 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 23, 2025